The Association of American Railroads (AAR) today reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending April 18, 2026.  For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 508,303 carloads and intermodal units, up 2.5 percent compared with the same week last year.

Total carloads for the week ending April 18 were 230,749 carloads, up 3.0 percent compared with the same week in 2025, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 277,554 containers and trailers, up 2.2 percent compared to 2025.

Eight of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2025. They included grain, up 4,677 carloads, to 25,079; petroleum and petroleum products, up 1,498 carloads, to 11,158; and nonmetallic minerals, up 1,368 carloads, to 32,168. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2025 were coal, down 2,669 carloads, to 54,601; and miscellaneous carloads, down 1,019 carloads, to 9,035.

For the first 15 weeks of 2026, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 3,372,766 carloads, up 3.9 percent from the same point last year; and 4,132,416 intermodal units, down 0.1 percent from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 15 weeks of 2026 was 7,505,182 carloads and intermodal units, an increase of 1.6 percent compared to last year.

North American rail volume for the week ending April 18, 2026, on 9 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 339,795 carloads, up 4.7 percent compared with the same week last year, and 364,495 intermodal units, up 2.9 percent compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 704,290 carloads and intermodal units, up 3.8 percent. North American rail volume for the first 15 weeks of 2026 was 10,336,147 carloads and intermodal units, up 1.9 percent compared with 2025.

Canadian railroads reported 95,736 carloads for the week, up 4.7 percent, and 72,297 intermodal units, down 2.1 percent compared with the same week in 2025. For the first 15 weeks of 2026, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 2,432,335 carloads, containers and trailers, up 0.8 percent.

Mexican railroads reported 13,310 carloads for the week, up 47.3 percent compared with the same week last year, and 14,644 intermodal units, up 68.9 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 15 weeks of 2026 was 398,630 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, up 16.4 percent from the same point last year.

-via Press Release